The present invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a load-carrying post which is intended to support the roof structure of the motor vehicle. The motor vehicle comprises a passenger compartment and an air-conditioning system intended to supply ventilation air to the passenger compartment via air ducts. The load-carrying post of the motor vehicle, according to the invention, accommodates at least one air duct, to which the air-conditioning system is connected, and at least one air-vent connection which allows the ventilation air to be directed in a first direction essentially counter to the intended main direction of travel of the motor vehicle.
The present invention finds its main application when the aim is to achieve more flexible regulation of the ventilation air supplied to the passenger compartment from the air-conditioning system of the motor vehicle in the region around what is known as the B-post. The invention can also be applied when the aim is to avoid small children secured in child car-seats in the front or rear passenger space being exposed to unnecessary drafts from supplied ventilation air.
A number of different ventilation systems and air-conditioning systems for use in passenger compartments of motor vehicles are known.
The increasingly greater requirement for comfort has led to many modem motor vehicles being provided with air-conditioning systems of the type which is capable of automatically regulating the temperature in the passenger compartment so that it is constantly maintained at a desired temperature level.
Combinations of automatic and manual regulation of the supply of ventilation air and fresh air are also known. Many motor vehicles of the passenger type are thus, today, provided with openable and closable openings for ventilation air which are combined with the dashboard of the motor vehicle. The flow of ventilation air can in general also be guided in the desired direction by means of a rotatable vent, throttles and the like.
Known ventilation and air-conditioning systems for motor vehicles can, however, be considered to have certain shortcomings. With regard to the supply of ventilation air which is intended to keep the side windows of the motor vehicle free of fog and the like, this is in general effected by fixed vents which are arranged in combination with the dashboard or in the doors of the vehicle at the front or lower edges of the side windows.
Such a supply of ventilation air is in general controlled by the central air-conditioning system of the motor vehicle and is typically directed backwards in the passenger compartment of the vehicle.
In the event that it is desired to put a small child in a child car-seat in either the front or rear passenger seat of the motor vehicle, it is unsuitable, in particular as far as babies are concerned, for the child to be exposed to drafts. In motor vehicles configured with conventional air-conditioning systems, it is often impossible to close or throttle the supply of ventilation air in the direction of, for example, the rear seat. This can result in a child who is secured in a forward-facing child car-seat in a passenger space of the rear seat being exposed to undesirable drafts.
Even when a child is secured in a child car-seat in the front seat, it can be an advantage to be able to guide the supply of ventilation air away from the child in various ways.
Furthermore, it can also be desirable under other circumstances to be able to guide or concentrate the ventilation air in the direction of the desired side window. An example of such circumstances is when a person with wet clothes is sitting in a front or rear passenger space. Another example is when it is desirable or necessary to supply extra ventilation air in order to avoid the formation of fog, mist and the like on the side windows. Conventional air-conditioning systems in motor vehicles do not generally offer this possibility.
In view of the above described deficiencies associated with conventionally designed load carrying posts, the present invention has been developed. These enhancements and benefits are described in greater detail hereinbelow with respect to several alternative embodiments of the present invention.
The present invention in its several disclosed embodiments alleviates the drawbacks described above with respect to conventionally designed motor vehicles having load carrying posts and incorporates several additional beneficial features.
A first object of the present invention is therefore to make it possible for the supply of ventilation air to be guided or concentrated in the direction of a target side window of the motor vehicle, and also in a direction essentially counter to the intended main direction of travel of the motor vehicle. This object is achieved, as further described hereinbelow, by a motor vehicle having a load-carrying post intended to support the roof structure of the vehicle. Such a motor vehicle typically has a passenger compartment and an air-conditioning system which is intended to supply ventilation air to the passenger compartment via air ducts. According to the invention, the load-carrying post accommodates at least one air duct to which the air-conditioning system is connected. The load-carrying post also includes at least one air-vent connection which is arranged so as to allow the ventilation air to be directed in a first direction essentially counter to the intended main direction of travel of the motor vehicle.
A second object of the present invention is to eliminate the problem of small children or other passengers in the front or rear passenger space from being exposed to unnecessary drafts. This object is achieved by virtue of the fact that the passenger compartment of the motor vehicle has at least one front passenger space and one rear passenger space arranged one behind the other in the longitudinal direction of the motor vehicle. The load-carrying post constitutes a part of the body of the motor vehicle and is located in a position which, seen from the side of the motor vehicle, lies between the front passenger space and the rear passenger space. Accordingly, the load-carrying post accommodates the air duct and also an air-distribution chamber. In this connection, the air duct is arranged for supplying the ventilation air from the air-conditioning system, while the air distribution chamber is provided with at least one of the air-vent connections and an air-direction selector. The air-direction selector is in this case arranged so as to direct the ventilation air in essentially the first direction towards the front passenger space, or in a second direction predominantly towards the rear passenger space. The air-direction selector is arranged so as to be capable of being operated by means of an operating member in the passenger compartment.